Ex-Patriots coach Saban dies at 87

Lou Saban, who was the first head coach in Patriots history, passed away Sunday. He was 87. According to an AP report, Saban died around 4 a.m. at his home in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., his wife, Joyce, said. He had heart problems for years and recently suffered a fall that required hospitalization, she said.

Saban was named head coach of the Boston Patriots on Feb. 8, 1960, and led the new franchise to a 5-9 record in its inaugural season. He coached the team for five games in 1961, leading the team to a 2-3 mark before Mike Holovak took over for the remainder of the season, helping guide the franchise to a 9-4-1 mark.

Boston was just one of several stops in a long and storied coaching career. In addition to the Patriots, at the professional level there were head coaching jobs with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, as well as college jobs at Miami, Army, Northwestern and Maryland. Saban, who was 95-99-7 in 16 seasons of pro football, also was president of the New York Yankees from 1981-82 and coached high school football from 1987-89.